Another Week
by Lyralocke
Summary: Kataang. They had been together for one whole year. Kataang Week.
1. Chapter 1

_Whoa whoa whoa kid, it's KATAANG WEEK PART DEUX. Excitement! And I'm on time this time around! So here's day one of my Kataang Week collection, Another Week. Expect more tomorrow!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 1: Panda Lily

"Katara!" Aang called excitedly, jumping off Appa's head and racing into the Fire Nation palace. He ignored the odd looks he was given as he tore through the halls at top speed, leaving clouds of dust in his wake. "Katara, I'm back!"

He crisscrossed through the whole of the palace looking for her, until finally he saw her in the gardens with Toph, Zuko, and Mai. She turned when he called her name and he grinned, fully intending to sweep her up into his arms…

But instead she punched him in the stomach. He was rather confused to find himself blinking up at her from the grass when only moments ago he had been attempting to hug her.

"What's wrong with you?" she shouted, grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him back to his feet. He stared at her, confused, and was unnerved by the sight of Toph, Mai, and Zuko backing away several yards behind her.

"Um," was the only response he managed. Katara let out a frustrated groan and slapped him. There wasn't any strength behind it, but it got the point across.

"Aang, you've been gone for three days," she said loudly. "You just vanished in the middle of the night. I've been worried sick. What in the world could have compelled you to just up and leave like that?"

Aang swallowed hard and held up his hand. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. In the Avatar's hand was a flower. It was a lily with long thin petals, black and white in color. Katara reached up and took it, her brows drawing down as she regarded it.

"It's a flower," she said flatly after a very long silence. She glanced up at Aang, who was grinning.

"A panda lily," he corrected, wiggling his eyebrows.

Katara stared. "Okay," she replied, waiting for him to continue. He just kept grinning at her. She sighed. "Aang, what is this for?"

Aang's face fell. "Oh… you don't… you don't know?" he stammered. Katara shook her head. Aang blushed and looked at his feet. "Well… it's supposed to be a symbol of um… love, and devotion… that kind of stuff…" he murmured, fidgeting restlessly. Katara's cheeks turned pink, but Aang didn't notice, engrossed as he was in his shoes. He cleared his throat. "I figured since it's been a year since the war ended and we officially became um… a couple I guess…"

He exhaled heavily and finally looked up at her. "I'm sorry Katara, I didn't think about how much I would worry you, I just wanted to make a grand gesture and it was stupid in hindsight and-"

Aang's stammering was cut off when Katara leaned up toward him and placed a shy kiss on his lips, the lily clasped in her hands.

"You know Aang…" she murmured, smiling demurely as she stepped back from him. "If you wanted to make a grand gesture…" She reached back and tied the lily in her hair. "You could have left a note or something."


	2. Chapter 2

_Technically it is still March 9th in my time zone, so I'm not late! I feel like this one is styled a little differently, I dunno. You tell me.  
_

_

* * *

  
_

Chapter 2: Blush

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Seriously, cut it out."

"What?"

Toph shot a glare in Katara's general direction. "You're staring at me," she said sourly.

Katara frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've never understood how you can tell that," she said thoughtfully. Toph quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What a very bold statement," she said airily. "Not afraid you'll hurt my feelings?"

Katara snorted. "I couldn't hurt your feelings with a sledgehammer."

"True. Go on."

Katara smiled. "I get that you can see movement through vibrations, but how can you tell that I'm staring at you? I mean… aren't eye movements kind of small?"

Toph thought about it for a moment. "I suppose they might seem that way," she admitted. "But the muscles controlling your eyes move faster than any other muscles in your body."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The reaction time is like… nothing. So I can feel it, it's just hard to track. But when your eyes don't move for a long time…" She shrugged. "It's pretty obvious you're staring at something. Plus you're facing toward me."

Katara nodded. "Makes sense…"

"But."

Katara smirked. "But what?"

Toph laughed, and it rang across the courtyard of the Fire Nation palace the two of them were currently occupying. A few heads turned, but personal guests of Fire Lord Zuko were generally left unbothered.

"But there's more that you want to know about me," Toph completed for her. "I suppose there wasn't a lot of time to get into particulars when we were running around the whole world trying not to get killed by crazy firebenders."

Katara chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "Well… I suppose there is one thing…"

"Suppose away," Toph said lightly, lying back on the grass and closing her eyes. Katara sighed a little.

"You used to make fun of Aang all the time because he would blush so much."

Toph snorted. "Because of you."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point."

"Sure."

"Anyway. I've always wondered how you can tell when people blush."

Toph glanced Katara's way. "You think just your face heats up when you blush, Sugar Queen?" she asked with a wolfish grin. "Nah, heart beat speeds up, general body temperature increases, breathing quickens, it's like having a fever very suddenly and for a very short period of time."

"Huh, I guess I never thought of it that way," Katara hummed, turning her gaze skyward and leaning back on her hands.

"Really?" Toph laughed. "Considering you used to blush so much…"

"What?" Katara blurted, cursing the blush of embarrassment that rose to her cheeks. Toph burst out laughing. "I did not."

"Liar," Toph uttered in a sing-song voice. "You did as much as Twinkle Toes. But nobody else ever commented on it, which I never understood."

Katara sighed. "I have a darker skin tone than Aang," she explained begrudgingly. "It's harder to tell when I'm blushing."

"Ah, the perfect disguise," Toph laughed. She tilted her head to the side a little. "A darker skin tone, huh?"

"Yeah," Katara nodded. "I never really thought about it but… that's one thing you can't tell."

Toph shrugged. "Guess not."

"People from the Water Tribes are generally darker," Katara began. "The Fire Nation is pretty pale. Um… the Earth Kingdom is varied, I guess. And Aang is on the pale side, but I can't say the same for all the Air Nomads." She sighed. "Only one person in the world knows what they looked like."

"Speak of the devil."

Katara glanced over. Sure enough, a few moments later Aang walked into the courtyard.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, his face brightening at the sight of them. He plopped down on the grass beside Katara, looping an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. Katara grinned, blushing. Aang didn't notice, but Toph's smirk told Katara that somebody did.

"What've you two been up to?" Aang asked lightly, glancing over at Toph.

"Oh you know," Toph said airily. "Talking…" She smirked, but didn't say anything else. Katara let out a sigh of relief. Until…

"…About how hot you make Katara."

"Toph!"


	3. Chapter 3

_I don't really like this one. Dunno why, I feel like it's kind of... misshapen and ugly. D'oh. Maybe I'll make it better some day._

_

* * *

_

Chapter 3: Strength/Weakness

Katara was awake. It was far past midnight and the rest of the world was silent, but Katara was awake. She was lying in bed on her side, head propped up on her elbow, blue eyes almost black in the pale starlight. She was awake, but Aang was not.

Aang was fast asleep. He was completely tangled up in the sheets, one leg hanging over the side of the bed, an arm up over his head, mouth wide open as he snored softly.

Beside him, Katara smiled. She let out a gentle sigh, calmed by the sight of Aang, her Aang, sound asleep. His chest rose and fell with each slow breath, so steady she could measure time with him. For these few hours at night, there were no politics to deal with. No violence. It was just Aang and Katara, at peace together.

But the Avatar's work was dangerous. He and his loved ones were never truly safe. These hours were the most dangerous. Sleep left him vulnerable.

Katara knew what a great risk it was for him to share a bed with someone. To expose yourself to someone at your time of greatest weakness. He trusted her completely, or this sleeping arrangement would never have come to be.

She wondered sometimes if Aang placed as much value on such a simple thing as she did. She thought of asking him more than once. But maybe it was so valuable to her because it was so personal. She trusted him enough to sleep beside her, and for someone with a past like hers, that was a very big deal. But for him, it seemed like just another step in getting closer to her.

So, she thought with a smile, there were some things even the Avatar took for granted.

With another sigh, Katara reached over and laid a hand on his chest. He didn't even stir. She smiled. He was always a heavy sleeper. She started drawing idle circles on his chest with her fingers, so immersed in watching him sleep that she didn't even notice. Apparently it tickles, however, because he woke up with a laugh.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a yawn. She took her hand from his chest with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Aang just shook his head and rubbed his eyes before he finally focused on her. "How long have you been awake?"

She glanced thoughtfully away. "Not too long, I suppose."

"What were you up for?"

Katara smiled, tilting her head a little. "Watching you sleep."

Aang smiled, confused. "Why?" he laughed a little. "I mean… it can't be that exciting."

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it just calms me down."

Aang grinned, leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Well, glad to be of assistance." She closed her eyes comfortably, letting out a sigh.

"Lie down," Aang commanded gently, tugging on her elbow. "Get some sleep."

Katara nodded, snuggling up to his side. He kissed the top of her head and she grinned.

"I love you, you know," she murmured.

"I know."

Katara scoffed and elbowed him in the ribs. He chuckled.

"Hey, I'm just kidding. I love you too. Always."

Katara smiled and closed her eyes. Maybe there were some things she took for granted too.


	4. Chapter 4

_So I made a slight change. In the description it says this takes place after one year, but I decided each chapter is one year after the last. So this would be year four. I just like the idea of them getting older over the course of this I guess. JUST SO YOU KNOW._

_

* * *

  
_

Chapter 4: Tradition

In order to survive in the new world, Aang had to give up a lot of himself.

The Airbenders were gone. It was a fact he had come to accept. But it took him a while to realize that the old ways were gone with them. There was little place left in the world for a monk. He couldn't meditate every day, he couldn't abstain from violence, and after a few years he started forgetting some of the teachings.

Then there was Katara.

Many monks dedicated their entire lives to meditation, to reaching enlightenment. They took vows abstaining from temptation, and this included temptations of the flesh, as it were. Obviously it was impossible for all of them to do so or the race would have died out long ago. But it was every young airbender's choice, and when he had been frozen in an iceberg, he hadn't made his choice yet. He had never told Katara about this aspect of the lifestyle of his people, because just over a hundred years ago he told Monk Gyatso he wanted to take those vows.

The wise old man had laughed and patted Aang's shoulder.

"Aang, you are only nine years old," he said patiently. "You don't even need to think of those vows for seven years. What compelled you to make this decision?"

Aang had frowned at him and sighed, "I don't ever want to fall in love."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to get my heart broken."

Gyatso laughed again. "Oh, Aang, getting your heart broken is part of growing up," he chuckled. "Do not swear off love so soon, young one. There is plenty of time to make that choice, and you've yet to even have a taste of what a wonderful thing love is."

So Aang never took those vows. But he wondered sometimes what he would have done if he had. If he was the only airbender left in the world, desperately in love with the angel who had woken him from his century of sleep, but he had sworn off any chance he had. He would need to break those vows eventually, he knew. The airbenders couldn't be left to oblivion. But the thought still crossed his mind on occasion.

Four years later, his heart had never been broken.

"Aang?"

Aang opened his eyes and turned. He was sitting on the roof above his and Katara's room at the Fire Nation palace, meditating. But he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Katara leaping up on to the roof and sidling up behind him.

"What er you doing up here?" she asked, smiling.

"Meditating," he said simply.

"Oh good!" she burst out, sitting down beside him.

Aang frowned, confused. "Good?"

"Yeah," she tilted her head to the side a little. "Could you teach me how?"

"How to meditate?"

She nodded. Aang stared at her. She frowned. "What?"

Aang leaned over without a word and kissed her cheek. She blushed, pleased.

"Alright, I'll teach you about my people."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry this one's a day late. I was working on it yesterday and I couldn't get myself to like it enough to post it. Then to make matters work, something shitty happened today that reminded me of something really shitty that happened about a year ago and suddenly this particular story got a little too personal, but here it is anyway. I'm still not fond of it. It's definitely not warm and fuzzy, just to warn you._

_

* * *

  
_

Chapter 5: Comfort

When Katara's mother was taken from her, nothing anyone did or said could give her any comfort.

She was just a little girl. She wasn't ready to suffer like that, but she did, and she was inconsolable. After all, what could you say to someone so small when her mother had just been killed protecting her?

"Katara?"

Katara didn't move. She didn't turn at the sound of Aang's voice at the doorway to their room at the palace, she didn't say anything to indicate she'd heard him. She just stayed where she was, sitting on the bed, staring out the window.

She felt the mattress sink next to her. Aang was sitting beside her. She did nothing. A warm hand closed on her shoulder. She sighed.

"Katara, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.

Katara finally glanced at him. He looked as worried as he sounded. She sighed again.

"I wonder sometimes," she began quietly. "How different I would be now if my mother wasn't taken from me."

Aang's face fell into something grave. "Today's the anniversary, isn't it?"

Katara nodded.

Aang swallowed hard and looked down. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked hesitantly.

Katara shook her head. "No. There's nothing anyone can do. There never was."

He glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"I was so young," she said quietly, not looking at him. "Nobody quite knew what to do with me. Everyone was telling me how sorry they were, offering their condolences. It was… it was ridiculous, really. I didn't understand, all of a sudden she was just gone. What could anyone possibly say that could make that less painful?"

Aang didn't say anything. He just wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sighed again.

"I hate this day. Every year, it just reminds me that there's this one thing in my life that I can't escape from or find any comfort from."

"You know if there was anything I could do," Aang murmured, kissing the top of her head. "Just say the word and I would do it. No matter what it was."

"I know," Katara replied flatly. "I know you would. And I'm grateful for that. That's… that's the most anyone has ever been able to do for me."

"I can't even really offer any empathy," he sighed. "I've never lost anyone like that. I just woke up and they were all gone. Somehow… that was easier to come to terms with."

Katara made a noncommittal noise to indicate she was listening.

"Do you want me to go?"

Katara didn't respond. She was silent and thoughtful for quite some time.

"You know… if anyone could do anything to comfort me, I know it would be you," she whispered at length. He glanced at her. "I just want you to know… if it was possible, it would be you."

"I'm glad," he said quietly. "I'm going to go check on Appa. Just yell if you need anything, alright?"

"Alright."

"Promise?"

Finally, for the first time that day, Katara smiled just a little. "Promise."

Aang kissed her cheek and left the room. Katara sighed heavily.

There were some places where even Aang couldn't provide her with any comfort.


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry this is two days late, yesterday ff net was like hey! I'm gonna be a jerkface and not let you do anything! So that's what happened. Here's day 6, I should have day 7 up laters._

_

* * *

  
_

Chapter 6: Love Of Life

The Fire Nation palace had a great, resplendent dining hall for the meals of the royal family. The entire length of the room was draped in crimson and gold. Tapestries hung from vaulted ceiling to marble floor, the tables were laid with white silk, crystal goblets, and solid gold cutlery. It was truly a beautiful place.

But tonight, eight of the best known and best loved people in the world were eating dinner at a wooden table in a cramped corner of the warm, busy kitchens of the palace. The kitchens were located beneath the dining hall. The ceilings were low and everything was made of dark reddish stone. Copper pots and pans hung over the wooden counters, great iron stoves blazed away along one wall, strings of peppers and garlic and dried meat hung along the walls. The place was a hive of merry activity, most of which originated from the world's oddest family eating dinner in the corner.

A prominent general, the ruler of a nation, a noble, two renowned warriors, two of the world's greatest benders, and the world's only airbender laughed and shared stories as they ate and drank, all dressed in plainclothes and acting as any normal family would. Fire Lord Zuko and Mai, his betrothed, sat on one side drinking wine and laughing at an anecdote told in tandem by General Iroh and Toph, the Blind Bandit. The butt of this particular anecdote was Sokka, who attempted to contradict every point while Suki laughed uproariously. Listening contentedly as they shared a pot of tea was Avatar Aang and Lady Katara.

A young man on the kitchen staff approached hesitantly and tapped Aang on the shoulder.

"Er… is there anything I can get for any of you?" he asked, nervous.

Aang glanced around at the table. Katara smiled and squeezed his hand.

"No, I think we have everything we need," Aang replied to the young man. He smiled and scurried off.

Katara rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why everyone is so scared of you," she sighed dramatically. He gave her a sheepish grin and she laughed, leaning on him and murmuring, "You're a big ol' softy."

Aang laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I don't think it's just me," he pointed out, eyes traveling again over their family. "I mean… at this table are the eight people best known for saving the world. That'd intimidate a lot of people."

"I suppose," Katara obliged. "But you'd think once they saw what a bunch of kids we are…"

She paused to watch Toph do an impression of Sokka attempting to extricate his head from a bucket. It was met with roars of laughter.

Katara rolled her eyes again, grinning. "Anyway, this doesn't strike me as intimidating."

"Me neither," Aang sighed. "But I think we're a little bias."

The evening wore on, more stories were told, more laughs were shared, more food was eaten and tea and wine were drunk. As night closed around the palace, the stout candles in the center of their table began to sputter in their piles of wax and the plates were cleared away.

"I think it's about time to turn in," Toph remarked with a wide yawn, eyes closed contentedly.

"Yeah…" Suki consented, poking a snoring Sokka in the ribcage to rouse him from his food induced stupor. He woke with a violent snort that made the entire table snicker at him. "I guess some of us should have turned in a while ago."

Aang sighed and leaned back in his chair. Katara was dozing off, her head resting on his shoulder. Aang turned and kissed the top of her head. She smiled gently.

"This is the life," she said quietly.

After a few moments of silence, everyone at the table indicated their agreement. Aang grinned, and they all settled back into their chairs. Maybe they could stay up together just a little longer.


	7. Chapter 7

_So ends Lyralocke's Kataang Week Part Deux! Now, godwilling, I will get some Parlor Tricks done._

_

* * *

  
_

Chapter 7: In My Arms

The day Zuko and Mai chose to be married was exceptionally hot. The types of garments traditionally worn at Fire Nation weddings were not at all suited for exceptionally hot days.

Maybe it was just another in a long line of signs that this wasn't a traditional marriage in a traditional time. The world was changing, after all. Not as rapidly as it was seven years ago, but there was still a long way to go before they reached the peaceful world the Avatar and the Fire Lord envisioned. Either way, the traditional wedding garb was tossed aside in favor of the nicer (but still not quite formal) clothes the wedding party usually wore on hot summer days in the Fire Nation. They were all dressed in reds and golds of course, but it served to make the atmosphere less stuffy and traditional and more celebratory of a new phase in the lives of two great friends.

Plus they all went barefoot, which pleased Toph greatly.

The banquet was all the more fun without to restraints of the attire that would have been, and in some ways the banquet was even more important than the actual ceremony, so it was remembered as one of the more enjoyable weddings the palace had hosted in recent decades. The menu consisted entirely of light summer dishes to begin with, so this particular day wasn't any fuss for the kitchen staff. And despite the heat it was a beautiful day, so no one objected to sticking to the original plan of throwing the banquet outside in an open air pavilion on the palace grounds. The table was long and low, surrounded by great silk cushions in place of chairs, so a comfortable atmosphere pervaded the event.

So the wedding of the Fire Lord began with a reminder of just how little power they had over the earth, and ended with a reminder of just how adaptable the human race was. It seemed very fitting, in a poetic sort of way.

"You know what I think?" Katara said seriously after Aang had related these thoughts to her. He smiled, indicating that he was listening. Katara smirked at him. "I think you, Avatar Aang, have had a little too much to drink."

Aang rolled his eyes and Katara laughed lightly. Evening had fallen and the pavilion was lit with hundreds of paper lanterns. Fireflies were blinking lazily in the darkness beyond the long table, which was currently laden with teas, wines, and desserts of every kind. What had earlier been a raucous feast had devolved somewhat to a contented buzz of conversation.

Katara was cozied up to Aang's side on the cushion he was occupying, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand as she comfortably surveyed their surroundings. Aang had an arm loosely around her waist and was leaning back on his other hand. He turned his gaze to the fresh stars and sighed.

"What a day," he murmured, running a hand up Katara's back. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of her own.

"A good day," she finished for him. He grinned.

"If someone had told me eight years ago that I would be with you at Zuko's wedding right now, I'd have told them they were crazy."

Katara smiled at him. "I agree with half of that." Aang gave her a puzzled look that made her laugh a little. She reached for him, resting a hand on his cheek and smiling fondly. "I knew I'd be with you."

Aang's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh you did?" he asked with an air of great surprise. She smirked and gave a little half-nod. Aang glanced thoughtfully skyward. "Well what if I had given up on you and fallen in love with that girl at the Fire Nation school?"

Katara wasn't phased in the slightest. She just shrugged one shoulder. "But you didn't give up on me, did you?"

Aang let out a low laugh and leaned forward, resting his head in the crook of her neck. Her hand left his face and came to rest on his shoulder.

"Nope," he sighed. "Never did, never could."

"And in the end I just couldn't resist your charm," Katara replied dramatically, unable to disguise the smile in her voice.

Aang chuckled again and wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips tickling her neck when he whispered, "And now here you are, in my arms."

Katara just smiled and murmured, "Wonderful place to be, in my opinion."


End file.
